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Some travel companies and consumer groups are starting to protest growing taxes on travel. "It's probably our No. 1 legislative issue at the moment," said industry insider Bill Connors. "Local politicians have this idea that travelers are an easy cash cow because they're not there to vote. But it's a form of taxation without representation."

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Agents have a distinct advantage over online competition in the group travel sector, and although it can be complex, it's also financially rewarding. "It's a specialty market that currently doesn't have an online solution, so customers must go to the traditional agency model to book group travel," says Alex Mortensen, of STA Travel. "There are a few sites that try to do it, but it is more complex than standard travel. That said, it is a very lucrative market and it's an area where agents can really shine."

Legislation recently passed by Congress allocates up to $7 billion for an advanced baggage screening system. The new system includes bomb-detection machines built onto conveyor belts that can screen luggage 10 times faster than current systems. However, President George W. Bush has threatened to veto the bills to fund the system because they would also allow TSA screeners to unionize.

The DOT should work with the airline industry to establish policies to prevent excessive waits inside jetliners, the Grand Rapids Press editorial board writes. The proposed passenger bill of rights legislation is "an emotional overreaction," the board says. "The DOT is the appropriate body to crack down, not Congress. Protecting the flying public should be its top priority," the board says.

A robot submarine will be used in the search for the bodies of two French passengers who are thought to have drowned when a cruise ship sank off the coast of Santorini, Greece, last week. Officials on the island are concerned with the oil that leaked from the ship and onto the shore. "Our island and its beaches are of unique natural beauty and we must protect them in the best possible manner," the mayor said. "The island's economy depends on tourism."

Luxury resorts are getting increasingly creative in the exotic, out-of-the-way places they're choosing to open properties. Leading Hotels of the World says in 2006, its applications for membership had a higher proportion of exotic places outside the U.S., including the Middle East, China, India and Eastern Europe.